February 25th, Year of Dingchou
I have heard that the street play Wan Wan's Tale is quite popular in Champa, yet somehow, the Champa troupe has transformed this tale of love and entanglement into a story about a dashing prince and a charming nun. They have even incorporated Marquis Mingzhao into the play, which is truly audacious.
However, having once glimpsed Marquis Mingzhao from afar in Bianjing, I must admit he indeed possesses a majestic presence and unparalleled charm. No wonder the young women of the world are so enamored with him.
June 7th, Year of Wuyin
The day before yesterday, a Champa caravan docked at Zhenhai Bay. With the Clerk on leave, no one could understand the Champa language. We were at a loss until a colleague summoned someone from the Western Guangnan. This person did not speak Champa, and his Mandarin was difficult to discern, yet he could communicate with the merchants.
Today, I asked the Clerk, and it turns out that the western Guangnan lies adjacent to Champa. Although they also use Mandarin, it is mixed with local dialects, which we, who have long spoken the Central Plains Mandarin, naturally cannot understand. However, their dialect bears some resemblance to the Champa language, allowing the two to communicate with effort.
(a scribbled annotation)
"If we hire a person from Western Guangnan as a boatman, would it save on translator expenses?"
(a line neatly written in Yan script)
"I was born in Guizhou and have spoken only the language of the Central Plains since childhood. This person is likely from the Yong or Qin prefectures."
(a line of flowing cursive script, with the ink spill still fresh from recent use)
"During the Xining era, there were frequent disputes between Yongzhou and Champa, with thousands dead and wounded. Today, people from different places yet speak the same language this is the tragic outcome of war."